PHOSPHOLIPID REGULATION OF A CYCLIC AMP-SPECIFIC PHOSPHODIESTERASE (PDE4) FROM U937 CELLS

The regulation of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) by various phospholipids was explored using PDE4s partially purified from U937 cells. Preincubation (5 min, 4 degrees C) of the large molecular weight PDE4 denoted ''Peak 2 PDE4'' with mixed phosphatidic acids (PAs) produced a 2-fold increase in its V-max without changing its K-m (similar to 2 mu M) for cyclic AMP. This ''activation'' was not limited to PAs with specific fatty acid substituents: Synthetic PAs containing saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids 16-20 carbons long produced similar effects. Lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) and phosphatidylserines (PSs) also induced PDE4 activation, whereas phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and diacylglycerol did not. Antibodies to a peptide region near the PDE4 catalytic site specifically inhibited PA-induced activation. The data demonstrate that anionic phospholipids can act as non-essential activators of a leukocyte PDE4, and suggest biochemical crosstalk between phospholipid-dependent and cyclic AMP-dependent signalling pathways in human leukocytes.